Owls and Continents
by lost-katana
Summary: A young Donatello is learning how to read and decides to teach his brothers. But this proves to be easier said then done! Oneshot! Chibi turtles!


Surprise! I came up with another funny story!

I fear this may be the last one…

Okay, this takes place when our turtle are reaching the end of their third year. As the summary explains, Donny's just learning how to read. Their language may seem a bit advanced, but I did my best.

Please, enjoy!

Disclaimer: (looking through a crystal ball) I see… I see… Huh? A yellow stain in my future? Oh, that's a cheese stain. Looks like I'm having pizza for lunch. No TMNT though; so they still ain't mine.

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"And now, my son," Splinter finished his lesson, "that is how you write the letter 'Z'."

A very young turtle, with a purple bandana tied around his head, looked at the paper before him excitedly. "That's the last letter! What we do next?"

Splinter chuckled softly. He'd recently decided to teach Donatello how to read and write, this being among their first lessons. Even at the tender age of three, he was showing extraordinary intelligence and capabilities beyond his years.

"Now," he said, as he began to write on another sheet of paper; "you can begin to learn how to write words."

Across the paper, the rat wrote four words: CAT, DOG, TOY, and BED. "If you can tell me what these words say by our next lesson, Donatello, I shall prepare a special treat for you."

Donny's eyes lit up at that. Even now, he was beginning to sound out words. This would be a challenge for him; one that he would enjoy. There was a very good chance that he'd be able to figure out what the words said by their next lesson, two days away.

As the little turtle gathered up the papers in his arms like treasures possessions, he suddenly turned back. "Splin'er?" he asked. Donny, along with his brothers, often forgot to say the 't' while pronouncing the old rat's name. "How do you writes my word?"

"Your name?"

The young child nodded. "Yeah."

Splinter smiled and motioned for him to closer. When he did, he took the paper back from his adopted son that had the words written on it. Beneath them, he wrote DONNY on the bottom. "This, my son, is what your brothers call you. I shall teach you how to spell Donatello some other day."

His three-year-old son frowned, but nodded, accepting the explanation and reasons behind it. Splinter turned back to the paper, writing LEO, MIKEY, and RAPH as well. "And these are the names you call your brothers."

Donny ran his hand over the writing, as if he could read them by osmosis. "Is dummy on there?"

Grabbing his cane, Splinter looked at him firmly. "No. And I would appreciate it if you told your brothers not to call each other that anymore." He said as he handed the paper back to Donny. The child nodded and took it back, looking at the words carefully.

In the background, three other little voices could be heard, one in particular complaining about being hungry.

Rising, Master Splinter ushered his son in the direction of his siblings. "I believe it is time I prepared a lunch for us all. How about you go and play with your brothers while I do so?"

"'Kay." Don said, walking over to them.

Leo and Raph had begun to wrestle, arguing over something, while Mikey drew some pictures. In a blink of an eye, Raph had switched to fighting Mikey, who had apparently taken _his_ crayons.

Shrugging it off, Leo took a seat on the floor by Donny. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to the papers Don had now spread out in front of him.

"My word stuff?"

The young, blue-clad turtle cocked his head. "Huh?"

Picking up a small storybook that had unceremoniously found its way to the floor, lying open and facedown; Donny showed his brother a page. "You know; words. Master Splin'er's teaching me 'bout 'em."

Done with their fighting, Raph and Mikey joined their brothers. The younger of the four put his face right up to the book before looking at Donny. "How comes he's teachin' you but not us?"

Little Donny bit his lip, thinking about the question, then shrugged. "I dunno."

It _was_ kinda funny that Splinter was only teaching _him. _Since they'd come to the sewers, they'd practically learned _everything_ together. Maybe he was just busy and didn't have enough time. Maybe he needed someone to help him.

Don smiled suddenly. If that was the case… "How 'bout I teach you?"

Raph frowned. "'Bouts what?"

Rolling his eyes, Leo turned to him. "Words!"

"_I_ knew that!"

"Nun-uh!"

Interrupting them, Donny folded his arms. "Well, do you wanna learn, or not?"

All three of them nodded vigorously.

"Okay, then. First, you gots to know your letters." Donny grabbed his papers.

Besides the ones with the words on them was another, listing the alphabet. It was divided in categories, five on one side, and twenty-one on the other. One of the letters on the latter, the one Splinter called a 'Y', was circled.

Pointing to the first side, Don said, "These are… um," he stumbled, having trouble pronouncing the word Splinter had taught him; "uh… owls! That's it! Owls!"

Mikey looked at the five letters closely. "They don't look like owls."

Nodding in agreement, Raph pointed to the page. "Yeah, owls are those birds with _big_ eyes." He stated, making circles with his fingers around his eyes to show what he meant.

"Well," Donny began, "that's what Master Splin'er said." Quickly, he moved to the next column. "These are… uh… con- con…" He frowned, before thinking of the word; "continents!"

Lookin at the list, Leo asked, "How comes there's more of 'em than the owls?"

"I dunno." Donny shrugged again. "Splin'er says that the owls are the most 'portant."

Raph crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "What makes 'em better that the con- the cont- uh… those other ones?" he questioned, upset that the letters might be treated unfairly.

Scratching his head, Don buried his face in his papers. "They're just special, I guess." Changing the subject, he began to tell his brother what each letter was called.

Mikey recognized them rather quickly. He seemed confused that they could be said without song. He didn't really enjoy learning what sounds they made, though.

Before Don was half-finished with the 'continents', the youngest turtle clutched his head. "My head hurts! This is borin'!"

Raph looked bored too. "What's so 'portant 'bout letters, anyways?"

Once again, Don brought out the storybook. "'Cause they make words!"

Leo's eyes brightened as he began to understand what his brother was getting at. "And the words makes stories, right?"

Donny nodded. "Uh-huh." He remembered the other pages Splinter had given him. "Oh! They make names, too!" he explained, grabbing the other sheet.

Taking some scrap paper that was lying around, Don carefully looked at each name, copying them in a neat, childish scrawl.

After sounding each one out, he gave them to his brothers. "See? These are your names."

Young Raphael looked from his paper to his youngest brother's. "Hey! No fair! Mikey gots more letters than me!" he pouted.

Leo too found reason for complaint. "How comes I only got this many letters?" He asked, looking at each of the paper. "Everyone gots more than me."

Giggling, Mikey stood up. "Ha ha! I gots the most letters!" He looked at Raph's name. "Ooh… _and_ I gots the most owls! I'm the specialist one!" He turned back to Don with less enthusiasm. "Are you _sure_ they're owls? Owls are cute."

Fuming at the truth of Mikey's words, Raph stuck his tongue out at him. "Yeah, owls are cute. But you're not, dummy!"

Mikey started to cry. "Am not!"

"Raph," Leo yelled, doing the job for Donny, "Master Splin'er says we can't say that!"

"Ah, you're just mad 'cause you gots no letters."

"Yeah, I do!"

Before Donny knew it, all three of his brothers were on the floor, fighting over who had the most letters, owls, and continents.

Sighing, he began to pick up his papers.

"My sons," Splinter said from behind him. He was carrying a tray with four plates with sandwiches on them. Donny went up to him calmly, as if nothing was wrong, and took his. "Donatello," Splinter questioned, "what is going on here?"

After taking one more glance back at his siblings, Donny turned to Splinter. "I think _you_ should teach them 'bouts owls and continents, Master Splin'er."

That said, he walked over to the couch and sat down, eating quietly while his brothers continued their 'argument', leaving Splinter quite confused as he tried to separate them.

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Hey, did you like?

If you didn't, I gotta tell you, I wrote it late at night when I _should've_ been sleeping. That might have had some effect, huh?

Well, anyways, please review!


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